The Favour
by RZZMG
Summary: Draco needs an heir. Hermione wants a baby. They never expected that their blood's incompatibility would keep miracles from happening. In desperation, they turn to Theodore Nott. Threesome romance. Post-Hogwarts EWE. Dramione Duet Exchange 2011 entry. Story nominated for multiple categories at the 2012 Summer Round of the HP Fanfic Fan Poll Awards-see profile for details. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**This is the extended (long) version of my entry to the 2011 DRAMIONE DUET FIC EXCHANGE (September/October, 2011). The exchange had a cap of 8K words, so it appears in its shortened version on the LiveJournal site where the fest is housed. Below is the full version of the story, as intended.**

**My anonymous exchange partner gave me a very open template to work with. Her requirements were simply these:**

_- Rating Requested: R/NC-17_

_- Era Requested: Any era – doesn't matter. Writer's preference._

_- Kinks Requested: No specific kinks requested. Writer's preference._

_- Squicks not to write: Incest, cannibalism, mutilation_

_- Prompts to include: Blood, Chocolate, Sweat_

**Hope you enjoy! Please review and let me know, yeah?**

**Thank you to my fabulous beta, Unseenlibrarian, for all her help in assuring this story came out perfectly edited! Any mistakes are on my head.**

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own "Harry Potter" or any of its characters, nor do I profit in any way from the use of said characters and situations in this writing.

**Story Details:** Post-Hogwarts. Follows novel canon, but completely discards the Epilogue (EWE - Epilogue? What Epilogue? – format). Characters are OOC (out-of-character) because of the plot.

**Timeline:** February, 2014 – December, 2014

**Characters (alphabetical order, by last name): **Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy, Narcissa Malfoy, Theodore Nott

**Summary: **Summary: Draco Malfoy needs an heir. Hermione Granger-Malfoy badly wants a baby. They never expected, however, that the incompatibility of their blood really would keep such a miracle from happening. In desperation, they approach Theodore Nott, Draco's best friend, and ask for his assistance. He's compatible with Hermione's chemistry and biology in every way, but the repercussions of sleeping with a man not her husband and sharing a child with him are too large to ignore. Can the three of them come to an agreement that will be mutually beneficial? A ménage a trois story about trust, faith, love and making miracles happen.

**Extra:** All spellings follow the British English dictionary. "_Dormire Viri_" is Latin for "Dormant Masculinity/Manhood" – I made up the spell for the fic.

**Rating: MA+/NC-17 **(Explicit heterosexual sex – snogging, petting, oral sex, vaginal sex, double-penetration in a ménage a trois/threesome setting; profanity; alcohol consumption; pregnancy. Controversial topics include infertility and miscarriage, the issue of infidelity, and an unconventional relationship)

**Images to go along with this fic (characters, outfits, places mentioned in the story - remove all spaces to load the URL properly): http:/ / s905 . photobucket . com / albums / ac260 / RZZMG / The_Favour**

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_**THE FAVOUR**_

**BY: RZZMG**

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_**CHAPTER ONE**_

Draco didn't come home after work. The owl'd note he'd sent earlier that evening said he'd be staying with Blaise and Harry tonight and be back tomorrow afternoon. Zabini might be morally questionable at times, but I could trust my best friend to make sure my husband wouldn't do anything inappropriate. They'd probably stay at Zabini's villa in Milan, get drunk, and pass out. At least, I hoped that's what they'd do.

From her seat on the edge of our dove-grey suede sofa, my mother-in-law, Narcissa, watched me as I brought my overnight bag down the stairs from our loft bedroom, silent and understanding. I set it down next to the front door of the flat, and turned to look at her. She was perfectly poised, her hair coiffed without a strand out of place, her conservative clothing meticulously straight, with the skirt tucked over the knees and her legs primly held together. Her shoes were never scuffed, and her nails were always polished. She always wore tasteful jewellery and applied elegant make-up.

I never wanted to be like her.

Draco loved me despite that fact.

"Would you like some tea?" I offered, needing something to do until it was time to leave.

My mother-in-law was as emotionally even and as poised as ever. "That would be lovely, yes."

I gave her a forced smile and headed into the kitchen.

The kitchen of our Kensington flat was divided from the living space by the presence of a darkly stained, marble-topped centre island with metal bar stools. It was upon this island that I placed the antique Limoges tea tray that the elder Malfoys had given Draco and me as a housewarming gift, and the matching pot, cups, saucers, bowl and creamer service that had followed that very next Christmas to complete the set.

As I set the water to boil behind me on our gas stove, I arranged the tray. Silver demitasse spoons and linen lap napkins were laid out. I knew from years of experience that Narcissa didn't take tea with cream, and neither did I, so I was spared that little extra burden when laying out the service. I did, however, take down the good sugar bowl – the one we only used for company – and filled it with the pink cubes that we kept on-hand for when Draco's mum came to visit.

From my stash of tea, I pulled down an expensive canister filled with my favourite blend: a White Ayurvedic Chai that smelled of cinnamon, coconut, pineapple, ginger, cardamom and cloves. It was a perfect after dinner drink, as it was dessert-like in scent and taste. Gathering some into the tea ball, packing it in tight, I closed the canister back up and set the silver ball into the pot. The whistle of the kettle a moment later let me know the water was ready, and I poured the steaming liquid over the ball, letting it steep.

As I brought the refreshments into the living area, setting them on the coffee table, the ceramic rattled. My hands were uncontrollably shaking. For all my Gryffindor courage, tonight's plan is the one thing in the world I never thought I'd ever have to face, and wasn't sure I had the actual strength to carry out.

How could I willingly break my marriage vows?

I took a sharp, deep breath and let it out slow, taking a seat in the middle of the couch. Yes, Draco and I had agreed to this plan. He needed an heir. I desperately wanted a baby. If we couldn't make one together, this was our only remaining option.

Rh incompatibility.

How was it possible that something as simple as blood type could really be the cause of the three miscarriages I'd suffered? I was O negative, Draco was B positive. We didn't match, and every child we'd conceived together had died because my immune system was strong, overly sensitive, and fought back with antibodies against my pregnancies.

My blood killed our babies.

_My_ blood.

We'd tried every wizarding and Muggle treatment known – fertility potions, IVF, RhoGAM shots. Three miscarriages later, and we knew it wasn't going to happen for us.

In desperation, the offer of surrogacy had been made by Ginny, and for a few days, Draco and I seriously considered taking her up on it. However, we both knew that my best girl friend had had a very difficult pregnancy with Albus Severus years earlier which had caused her to be bedridden for three months after his birth. The healer had been clear then that she wasn't to get pregnant ever again, as her kidneys had been taxed too heavily. I didn't want to risk her health, and after discussing it, neither did Draco. My mother offered, as did Molly Weasley and Narcissa, but the age issues of all three women – by then well into their late fifties and early sixties – were a definite factor in turning those offers down, as we didn't want to jeopardize their lives.

A year ago, we'd turned to a wizarding agency to help us find a potential surrogate, then a Muggle one. In both cases, the several attempts we'd made in getting a contract in place had ended in failure – the women had all bowed out for one reason or another. After having our hopes continually raised only to be dashed at the last moment by fickle females, we'd decided that surrogacy was off the table three months ago. Neither of us could take the stress.

And honestly, the idea of another woman carrying our child within her body and delivering it into the world was too difficult for me to bear anyway. It may have been selfish, but I wanted to experience motherhood in all its glory, from start to finish. I wanted the vomiting, the nausea, the swollen ankles, the cravings, the migraine headaches, the constant need to urinate, the mood swings, the weird sexual drives, the kicks to my ribs, the tender and swollen breasts, and the ever-expanding waist line. I even wanted the agony of labour and all it entailed. I wanted such things more than was _sane_.

Of course, at thirty-five, I knew that was just my biological clock talking, but the craving was there nonetheless, lingering under the surface. It wouldn't be denied. It fed upon my woman's ego – the basic nature that is female and nurturing, and desires above all else unconditional love. I wanted to get pregnant more than I wanted to breathe some days.

I'd been so hopeless of it ever happening, but then Draco had come forward with this mad idea of finding an outside, compatible wizard three months ago, and I'd been so desperate that I'd agreed. Thank Merlin, Circe and Morgana that we'd hit the lottery on the first candidate of his choosing.

Tonight, we had our chance. I was ovulating, and both my potential partner and I had been poked, prodded, and magic-spelled to death in advance of this night to assure we would be completely compatible. All I needed to do was Apparate over to the other wizard's ancestral Manor House, lie down in his bed, and let him fuck me and fuck me and _fuck me_ until I was filled with his life-giving sperm. An Aphrodisiac Charm coupled with the fertility potion I'd take as soon as I arrived would assure I'd come right along with him and end up impregnated by morning. It was practically guaranteed.

I closed my eyes, willed the rising panic attack away. The bitter, hot swell of liquid behind my lids was hard to contain. I'd cried so much already over this issue. How was it possible to still have tears?

To my surprise, Narcissa's arms enveloped me. We'd never been particularly close. A tentative acceptance had come over the last eight years on her part as it became clear that Draco and I were in love to stay, but I'd never felt full approval from the woman and my blood status was the reason. Now, she was comforting me, and it was enough to shatter my fragile hold on my emotions. I bent my head to her shoulder and sobbed. "I don't want to do this! I'm betraying him!"

"You have both agreed, so there is no infidelity," the Lady Malfoy murmured into my ear in soothing tones. "Draco loves you, and it has become clear to me through all of this, that you truly love him. Forgiveness will come with the good news that the pregnancy has taken hold, and this night will be but a memory."

I shook my head. "It feels wrong. Letting someone else touch me - the idea makes me sick."

Narcissa held me until my sobs quieted long minutes later. When the storm passed, the older woman leaned back. "Call Draco to you, then. Have him be with you this night."

My heart skipped several beats. "You want me to have him watch as another man... No, that's asking too much."

Eyes the colour of the sky at midday assessed me for a moment before a resolution came over Narcissa's features. "I will tell you something I have never divulged to another. This is a secret between women, and not to be shared. You understand?"

My senses reeled at the enormity of my mother-in-law's willingness to share anything of her life with me, much less a deep, dark secret. I nodded, accepting the olive branch she'd just extended. "I promise."

That seemed the right declaration, for Narcissa sat back, letting me go and placed her hands into a serene folded position across her lap – a sign of her trust. "Draco was a miracle child. I don't mean that in the same sense as all mothers feel for their children, but in the implication of a cosmic intervention. Technically, I should never have conceived. The intermarrying of both the Black and Malfoy families to each other has created issues of fertility in recent generations. Lucius is an only child, and there were no sons born to my parents because of the interbreeding. Draco is the only pureblood male of my _direct_ family line to have been born since his cousin, Regulus. I was told by the healers after his birth that I had been very lucky to conceive and carry our son to term at all. The likelihood of giving him siblings with Lucius as the father was close to zero percent."

The woman paused, shifted her weight slightly, and wet her lips. She was clearly nervous about divulging the next part. I waited, silent and focused, feeling my guts twist up with the anticipation.

"Lucius was determined to have more children, however," she continued. "We tried for two years, to no avail. It almost ended our marriage – he wanted to set me aside for a witch just out of school and six years my junior, mistakenly believing fertility had to do with youth. In desperation, I sought... outside assistance... from a Muggle who bore a striking resemblance to my husband."

Her lips tightened up into a thin line, but she said no more.

"Oh," was all I could think to say, dumbfounded that my husband's mother had just taken one hell of a skeleton out of her closet. Confessing she'd been unfaithful was one thing, but to have been so with someone she'd always considered less than the dirt beneath her shoes... _Wow._

"Yes," Narcissa confirmed. "When I became pregnant, my heart was eased of its guilt by the thought of another child to give to my husband."

But Draco had no siblings, at least as far as I knew.

"What happened to the child?"

The lines about Narcissa's eyes and mouth tightened, deepened. "She was born, but died at the age of three from a swelling of the brain and fever. I'd taken her through Muggle London to get into Diagon Alley around that time, not knowing there was illness in the air."

"Oh, I'm so _very_ sorry, Narcissa," I offered, my sympathy going out to this woman whom I'd known to be brave before, during the war in the aid of Harry, but never to carry such a heavy sorrow. It made me see her in a different light.

My mother-in-law nodded her head in thanks for the condolences. "The point of my divulgence was this: I was unfaithful to my husband and there was tremendous guilt, yes, but seeing the love on his face when he held his daughter for the short time we were gifted with her allowed me to eventually forgive my disgrace. In your case, however, there will be no concealment or lie to blacken your good soul. Draco has been given full disclosure, and you have both agreed to this arrangement. He will never despise you for going to another man, because he loves you enough to want to give you the dream of motherhood that you desire. And he will love your child and accept it as his own, because it will allow him the dream of fatherhood that he so desperately wishes for as well." Her hand reached out and gave mine a warm squeeze. "If it continues to bother you so, call him to you tonight. It will most likely make the situation easier on you both with him there."

"But, what if he gets me pregnant instead?" I asked, fear encasing my heart. "We'd miscarry again."

Narcissa took her hand back and reached to pour the tea into our cups. "There are spells that can make his seed temporarily impotent." At my startled gaze, an eloquent smirk twitched at the corner of her perfect lips. "Witches have been protecting themselves from unwanted pregnancies for millennia, my dear. Why do you think we have so few bastards running amok amongst the pureblood families, despite all of the scandalous infidelity?"

"I know of a Contraceptive Charm for a woman, but a man? I've never heard of such a thing," I admitted. Really, since when would I ever read a book on spells to give a man a provisional vasectomy?

"I'll teach it to you," Narcissa offered, dropping two sugars into her tea and one into mine – just as I liked. "Get your wand, dear. We haven't much time."

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_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**So, what do you think of the set-up? Please review and let me know!**


	2. Chapter 2

**_CHAPTER TWO_**

Theodore Nott met me at the door to his home, dressed in sexy casual. He could have passed for my husband's brother, both of them having grown out of the painfully thin frames they'd had as teens and into fully male, well-developed bodies. Their hair was a similar shade of platinum blond, and their eyes close in tint, too. He was handsome and masculine enough to make me nervous.

His smile was genuine, but thin, just like mine. "Come in," he graciously offered, his voice a soothing tenor.

Suitcase in hand, I stepped through the entrance to his Manor House. I'd only been here only half a dozen or so times since Draco and I had married, but the once-grand Nott residence never failed to strike me as a sign that the Era of Elegance was officially over. Theo's family had hailed from the aristocracy, from the time of William the Conqueror, and they'd been wealthy once upon a time. His father had squandered away most of the family fortune gambling when he'd been younger, and then Theo had been hit with paying monetary reparations on his dead father's behalf after the elder Nott had participated and been killed in the war. It didn't matter that he hadn't been a Death Eater – his father had, and the sins of the man had been passed down to his son post-mortem. Theo had had to find work to pay the bills after that, and had joined the MLE as a Hit Wizard. The salary of such a position, however, was not enough to keep up the caretaking of such a massive estate, and as a result, it was starting to fall into obvious disrepair. I felt sorry for him that he was stuck in such an awful position, but Theo didn't seem to mind – at least not openly. In his words, it was just part and parcel to having been born into such a cursed family.

My host extricated my bag from my hand and took it up himself, having no house-elf servants. "This way," he indicated. He led me through the foyer and hallway beyond to the stairs heading up to the private suites. The house was much smaller than Malfoy Manor, but it still boasted eight private bedrooms and baths, I knew.

I wouldn't need my own room though. I was staying the night in the Master Suite.

Theo's bedroom was relatively modern in design. Dark, rich chocolate-coloured paint covered the walls, and the bedding matched, to be offset with brown-russet and black pillows. The bed itself was King-sized – enough to roll around and then some. The curtains were a dark gold. The settee at the foot of the bed was covered in earthy-toned leather, the cosy chair in the corner was done in pale cream upholstery, and the rest of the wood furniture was tinted varying shades of dark brown. I took a deep breath, and the scent of clean skin and a spicy musk rolled across my tongue. It was a room that spoke of power and elegance and control, and it tantalized my senses.

My host set my suitcase down on a dresser across the way. "Have you eaten?" he asked, and I nearly jumped out of my skin as he disturbed the silence that had lasted between us from the front door to this point.

"Yes, thank you. I'd like a bath, though, if you don't mind?"

Theo turned to face me and nodded an easy consent, and again, I was struck by how similar of feature he looked to Draco. The blood tests we'd done had proven out that they were fourth cousins on his father's side (far enough removed for what we were going to do), but his blood's Rh type was negative – O-negative to be exact, just like mine – meaning any child we conceived wouldn't be seen by my immune system as a foreign infiltrator.

"The bath is through here," he indicated an adjacent room and led the way. The room was longer than it was wider, with a tub that was set-up the same way along one wall. The shower at the end of the room, however, was big enough for three or four, with glass doors you could see-through. The vanity, storage cabinets, and mirrors were similarly streamlined. The toilet was inset into a hidden alcove in the wall across from the sinks. The room was marble and wood and thick-cut glass – no chintzy tile or faux panelling, or easily breakable things in here.

"I bought you some oils and soaps, just in case," he indicated a small basket on the vanity. "Draco let me know what fragrances and brands you liked best. I hope it's to your liking."

My husband's name brought up so casually in conversation as it had been set off the panic attack I'd been holding back. I slumped against the doorjamb as my breath was squeezed from my lungs and a shaking started in my limbs.

Theo was there in an instant, gathering me to him and protecting me in his strong embrace. "Hey, it's alright, Hermione," he soothed, gentle in his touches and tone. "It's alright. Just relax. Take deep, calming breaths."

I tried to do as he asked, really, but it was hard to make my body obey. "I'm scared," I whispered around panting breaths.

My husband's best friend pressed his face next to my ear. "Me, too," he admitted, and left a light butterfly kiss on my temple. "But, it's going to be alright. I've called Draco. He's coming."

I started back, tilting my head up – way up – to meet his eyes. Gads, he was tall! "You what?"

He blinked down at me. "Narcissa Floo-called me just before you got to the front door. It was a quick explanation, but I got the gist. I immediately called Zabini's place, and told him to sober up Draco. Dumb sot was already well into his cups. He'll be here in a few minutes, I'm sure. Potter and Blaise promised."

Instantly, I felt better. "You don't mind?"

Theo smiled. "No. This is about you, not me. I'm merely the means to your ends."

It struck me then what we were doing to Nott. He was graciously willing to give up his own son or daughter – his heir, as he had no wife or child of his own - to another man. We were using him and then we were going to take his baby from him, and never let it know its biological father.

Tears flooded my eyes. "Oh, God... I-I-I can't do this to you! I can't use you like that!"

I smelled my husband's cologne the instant before he took me from Theo's arms.

_My husband._

"Shhhh, baby, it'll be alright," Draco crooned in my ear, holding me to his familiar heat. "I'm here."

"Draco," I cried, pressing my face into his fine, cotton shirt. "I can't! Oh, God, it's _so_ wrong!"

He walked backwards with me over to the bed and he sat down, pulling me into his lap. I wrapped my arms about his neck and hid my face away in the tuck of his shoulder.

"Hermione, I won't force you to do anything you don't want," he vowed. "But I want you to know that if you go through with this, I'll be right here with you tonight. Theo and I... the both of us together will make love to you, if you want. It won't be cheating and you won't have to face this alone."

I struggled to get my tears and my composure under control. It took a good twenty minutes or so. By then, I felt more rational – enough to give seriously contemplation to what my husband had just said.

A _ménage a trois_. A threesome. Draco, Theo and I - together.

Me, sleeping with two attentive, attractive, adoring men at once. I'd be guaranteed to orgasm continuously thanks to the Lust Spell we were going to cast. I'd be able to try out things I'd always wanted to in the secret vaults of my mind. It could be romantic. It would definitely be sexy. The scenario was every woman's fantasy, and I could live it for one glorious night.

But the issue of conceiving a child convoluted things. Theo was offering to do this for us without any strings attached out of a deep, abiding friendship with my husband that spanned nearly their whole lives. We owed the man more than a simple, 'thanks a lot' and 'see you later' come dawn.

"Draco, if I get pregnant, it'll be Theo's baby, too," I explained, pulling back to look him in the face. "It's not right to take that from him. He's doing this for us, but it's still not right to deny him his own child. I want all three of us to share the responsibility, since all three of us will be involved in the conception - _if_ he wants that, too." I looked over at Theo. "Would you?"

He blinked; the expression on his face was as surprised as if he'd just been wacked sideways by a bludger. His eyes darted to my husband and then back to me. He licked his lips, as if the suggestion were enticing. "How... would that work exactly?"

I considered it. "We could make one of the baby's middle names 'Nott,' and we could put you both on the birth certificate as the father."

Draco's contemplative gaze moved to his friend's. "That might cause quite the scandal, if it ever got out."

"Not if we say it's done in honour of the man who is like a brother to you and who saved your life during the war," I thought up on the fly. "Technically, letting you stay here at Nott's house for the whole summer after sixth year kept you from Voldemort's temper and gave that madman time to cool down. If not for that, I'm sure you would have been murdered for failing to kill Dumbledore."

Her husband tweaked an eyebrow at her. "A plausible explanation."

"And no one needs to know who the _real_ biological father is unless they wish, like in an adoption case. The courts only care who the legally responsible party will be," I stated, having worked in MLE long enough on the advocate side to know how things worked in the courts, "which will be the both of you, if you're listed as Dutch-fathers. As for physical traits, well, you both look very much alike, so I doubt there will be an issue there. Besides, the baby would most likely take after me in colouring – brown curly hair, brown eyes are the dominant trait."

"What about raising him?" Theo asked.

"Or her," I was quick to point out.

He came over to the bed and sat next to us. "I mean, it seems too complicated to keep moving him... or her... back and forth between residences. We'd have to timeshare."

"We can think up something that will work for all of us," Draco stated.

I looked at my husband. "You don't mind? I mean, if our son or daughter calls him 'daddy,' too?"

His eyes shifted over my head to his friend. "You both know I've never been good at the sharing thing. But this whole situation has flipped a lot on its head, and... I've had to come to accept some things that would have made me uncomfortable in the past. The thought of you" – he addressed the other wizard specifically – "touching my wife... well, we've talked about it, in depth. But she's right. This will be your child, too, and you've never asked for anything in exchange for this opportunity. So, I guess... no, I won't mind so much. Like you said," – he looked at me now – "if we'd adopted, our child wouldn't have been either of ours biologically, but I'd still have loved it. And I guess if there's anyone I wouldn't mind sharing with, it would be Theo."

It was the bravest thing I'd ever heard my husband say in all the years I'd known him.

I took a deep breath and made the commitment for all of us. "If Theo agrees, and you're with us tonight, I think... yes, I can do this." I turned in my husband's arms and gave my full attention to our host. "What do you want?"

His eyes shot between me and Draco. He swallowed, and the action moved his throat in a way that drew my attention. He really was quite a striking man.

"I was willing to... to give you this and walk away, but if you're offering me a shot at being a father, then yeah, I'll definitely take it," he nodded. "As long as you'd let me make parenting decisions with you, and I could name him or her in my Will as my heir, I'm good with this."

Draco's arms held me tighter to him, and he rested his cheek on my hair. "We can work out the legalities tomorrow, but the arrangement is acceptable to me, too."

I let out a relieved breath. "Then... maybe we should..." I could feel my cheeks heating, and cleared my throat. "I'd really like a bath."

That seemed to jolt the three of us into action. Draco let me stand, and I had control of my limbs once more, my shaking and panic eased. I wasn't sure it wouldn't come back the moment we were in bed together naked, but for now, I felt marginally well enough to take my bum into the bathroom on my own two feet. "Can you give me, say half an hour?" I requested from the door frame, looking at the two men as they stood to give me some privacy.

"Sure," Theo easily replied. "I've already taken a shower, so I'll wait out here." He turned to Draco. "You should clean up, though." He nudged his chin at the bathroom.

"You saying I stink?" my husband smirked at him.

Theo snorted. "Like Firewhisky, Floo powder and sweat. Nasty business, mate. I don't want that shite on my sheets."

Their familiar boyhood banter was the much-needed ice-breaker, making us all breathe a little easier. I walked the rest of the way into the bathroom, turned on the taps and blocked the tub. Putting my long, wild hair up in a bundle on the top of my head with an easily cast spell, I began undressing. My husband joined me a moment later. Theo remained in the other room.

Draco and I watched each other with heat as our clothes fell to the floor, piece by piece. "I'm going to fuck you a lot tonight, Hermione," he stated in a very assured manner that had my belly warming and my toes curling into the small bath rug at the foot of the tub. "I going to watch you get fucked, too." He stepped in close, pressing his naked, fully-erect length against me. "Do you think me perverse for finding that idea a turn-on – watching my best friend shag you?"

My temperature rose several degrees as an idea occurred to me right then and there. "You've done this before with him, haven't you? Shared a witch, I mean."

He didn't reply, but he didn't deny it either. I could see the affirmation in his gaze, though.

"Back in school or after the war?"

His fingers trailed across my cheek, and he watched them, rather than hold my curious gaze. "After. Before you, though, and only twice. But I didn't love those women, Hermione. It was just sex then. It's different with you." He paused, his fingertips sliding down my throat, over my shoulder, and across one nipple, causing it to go instantly taut. I shivered. "A part of me is insanely jealous of the idea of him touching you. You're _mine._ But there's this other part..." He grabbed my hand and put it over his steely erection, gliding us together up and down. A groan emitted from between his compressed lips and his eyes rolled back into his head as his lids squeezed shut. "The idea of watching his cock slide in and out of your pussy, of him coming in you - it makes me _burn_ with need. I'm so hard at just the thought."

This was a side of Draco I'd never known. In all our years together, I'd never guessed he'd had such a secret fantasy, too. That we were finally confessing these dark desires made me feel more intimately closer to him than I'd ever felt before.

"Let me wash you," I requested, stepping back and letting him go to turn off the water.

We stepped in together and sat down, and the water hit me at just above my breasts. Reaching for the provided soap and washcloth, I lathered up and reached for his right arm. We talked about what we wanted and expected from the night while I cleaned him up.

After I washed him up, he washed me. And he massaged my shoulders, helping to relax me.

"We'll go at the pace you want," he promised, pressing a kiss to my cheek as I leaned back into his arms. "You say 'no' and we stop. If you want us to explain something, we will. But you have to make your needs clear, right? We can't read your mind, baby."

I nodded in understanding. We got out and dried off, letting the tub drain.

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_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	3. Chapter 3

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**Below is the naughty fun part. Take the "M" rating and the disclaimer at the beginning of chapter 1 seriously, dear readers!**

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_**CHAPTER THREE**_

In nothing but towels, Draco and I made our way out to the bedroom once more. Theo was sitting in the cosy chair, reading, a fetching pair of spectacles perched on the edge of his nose. He put the book down and took the glasses off, setting both on a side table. He got to his feet and made his way to us, his gaze straying from my face, to the cleavage barely visible over the top of the towel slung around my middle, to Draco over my left shoulder.

Without a word, he took my hand and drew me away from my husband, towards the bed. There was a determined intensity in his features I'd never seen before, and there was hunger for what we were about to do reflected in his blue-grey eyes. It made my thighs quiver and my throat tighten.

His wand appeared in his hand, as did the vial of fertility potion. I downed the purplish liquid in one go after he unstoppered it for me. It tasted like cherry and liquorice – female and male. He handed the vial over to Draco, who stood behind me. I didn't know where the glass tube disappeared to, because my focus was on Theo pulling my towel until it fell to the floor and lowering his wand over my exposed belly. "_Aphrodisus Flammette_," he spoke the odd Greek-Latin conjuration for 'aphrodisiac' and 'enflame'. A pink light hit me...

...and I gasped at the heat and the flood of desire that overtook me. Between my legs, I went instantly wet. My nipples ached, growing hard, and my clit felt too sensitive for even the curly hairs around my pubis to touch. I was seconds from orgasm.

Draco pressed his solid length against the sway of my back as he stepped in and put his arms about me. "Bring her," he commanded his friend.

Theo reached forward and stroked my cunt. The moment his fingers tickled my little nub of flesh and his lips wrapped around one nipple to suckle, I came apart with a loud cry. Thank Circe my husband held me up, because my knees shook so badly I almost fell to the ground as the flashing wave rolled over me.

The need that the spell created was heady, and returned almost immediately after the quaking in my womb ceased. I craved. I needed more. "Oh... _God!_" I shouted, as the smallest touches brought the fire in my core roaring back to life. Theo bit my nipple and thrust two fingers up into me and I came again – just like that. The sounds coming from my mouth were incoherent gasps and whimpers then as I burned and exploded, super nova hot.

Somehow, I ended up on the bed, lying flat on my back, and Theo was between my legs, slurping up my freely flowing juices. Draco knelt over me, high up on my body. He had his swollen, red cock fisted in his hand and was stroking it. "Open," he bid in a gentle, but imposing voice. He expected me to obey.

I gave myself to him and to this – what we were doing together. I took him when he pushed his weeping tip into my mouth and I sucked, hollowing my cheeks, holding to his hips as he thrust with small, controlled surges.

I was on the verge of coming a third time, as Theo impaled me on his tongue again and I wailed around my husband's shaft as I approached the precipice of sanity once more. He released across my tongue just before I hit the edge, and I swallowed quickly, fearing I'd choke once I fell over myself. He'd barely eased out of my mouth when my back bowed and the climax gripped me between its teeth, shaking me for all I was worth.

Draco moved aside, and Theo was suddenly leaning over me. He was panting like I was, red-faced and covered in my juices, and so very beautiful in that moment that I thought I might cry again.

"Can we?" he asked, giving me the last out - giving me the power.

I reached for him and spread my legs wide and he took that as permission, surging up into me with one powerful snap of his hips. He wasn't as thick as Draco, but he was a bit longer, and he was curved, so when he pulled back and started shagging me at a comfortable rhythm, he clipped that ultra-sensitive spot inside with his wide crown. The sensation was incredible.

I flung one hand out. "Draco," I called, needing our connection, wanting him to touch and kiss me, and to tell me that he was good with this. My body was out of control, desperately thrusting upwards to meet Theo's of its own accord, but my heart was never far from my husband.

Draco's fingers curled around mine, his lips kissing the knuckles. He took them into his mouth and began sucking on them, swirling that naughty tongue of his around the tips. He shifted, and it was my breast now getting the attention from his mouth instead. He nipped and bit my tits, knowing how swollen and sensitive they were. "That's it, baby," he cajoled. "Enjoy this. Look at his cock fucking you."

I opened my eyes and looked down to where Theo was shuttling in and out of my body. I knew Draco was watching, too. His lips moved to the side of my face. "Look at him, desperate for you. He's going to come any second. He's going to come _inside you_. Watch."

I did. I couldn't tear my eyes off the sight of my lover's pounding hips. He was gasping in uncontrollable need as he sped up, sounding like a man tortured. "Oh, fuck!" he shouted in what sounded partial panic, partial bliss. "'Mione!" Throwing his head back on a loud cry, he surged one last time, going deep, and then I felt him pulsing warm liquid heat inside me. I orgasmed right as he pulled out a bit and slammed again into me, ejaculating more semen. The thought that this might be the moment I conceived a child at long last brought on a climax that overpowered my sanity.

Draco covered my mouth with his, capturing my keening cries, kissing me with love, pride, and appreciation.

Theo went still once the tide of his release receded, still fully buried inside me, knowing from the things we'd discussed a week ago with the Healer that he should not immediately pull out, and that my hips needed to be tilted back to insure his seed could easily get to where it needed to be. He moved us to accommodate that requirement, his breath still a panting animal against my shoulder.

"You did beautifully, baby," my husband complimented, meeting my glazed stare. "But we're not through yet." He rolled away and came back a moment later with his wand. "_Aphrodisus Flammette_," he cast at Theo.

Instantly, I felt my partner go iron hard inside me, and his spine stiffen. "Bloody hell," he rose up on his arms and grinned, shaking his head at Draco. "You bastard, you were supposed to wait a bit."

"Why should I when I want to see you fuck her again?" my husband easily admitted. He lay on his side next to us and propped his head up on one hand. "Besides, the more times you come in her the better the chances of conceiving, right? So, stop whinging and put her legs up on your shoulders. I want to see you shag my lovely wife into the mattress. I find I'm enjoying the show more than I'd suspected I would."

Theo looked down at me, his desire blatantly etched into every curve and angle. "Do _you_ want it hard or gentler this time?" he asked, intentionally defying my husband, assuring I was on-board for everything we were doing.

The truth was that the Aphrodisiac spell was still enticing me, despite having come already so many times. My ravenous body _wanted_. And I desperately wanted to get pregnant tonight... "Take me," I dared him. "Make me scream your name."

His grin was as wicked as his best friend's. He adjusted my legs and leaned forward so that my calves were up on his shoulders and his mouth was on mine. With driving lunges, he took me just as I wanted, and by the time I orgasmed again, his sweat was bathing me and my lips were sore. "More?" he challenged, continuing to slam into me.

"Yes, yes," I babbled, my nails clawing down his arms. "Fuck me! Give us our baby, Theo!"

That spurred him on, and he came in me again, pushing up on the palms of his hand and thrusting forward until my knees were up around my ears in a position I hadn't tried in years, and which I knew the back of my thighs would pay for tomorrow.

As Theo rolled off, breathing heavy enough to start coughing, Draco was suddenly there, between my legs. "Wait!" I cried, as he began lining up. "We have to cast the spell... you can't... your wand!" I reached for his wand next to me on the bed and took it up. It wasn't the same as mine, but over the years, my magic and Draco's had become more in-tune, and so when we used each other's wands, it felt safe and right to do so; they seemed to recognize that they both had two masters. "_Dormire Viri,_" I chanted the spell Narcissa had taught me, pressing the wand tip to my husband's belly. A dark purple light flickered from the end of it and then it was done. "To keep you from impregnating me," I explained to him.

He paused, seemed to consider that with a seriously disappointed frown from a moment, but then sighed and nodded in understanding. No matter how much we wished we could do this most basic, natural thing together, we knew it wasn't meant to be. That's why we'd invited Theo into our marriage in the first place.

The wand was dropped to the side and forgotten as he gently slid into me. When he was in to the hilt, he dropped to his elbows and touched my face with his fingers. "I love you, baby. Thank you so much for this."

I caressed a fingertip over his lips. "I love you, too, Draco. Thank you for this as well." I wrapped my arms about him and wanted to laugh with joy. Tears came to my face. "We're going to have a baby!"

He groaned into my shoulder and began moving. He loved me as sweetly as he had the first time we'd ever made love, and when we came together, it was that peaceful beauty you can only find when floating in warm water on your back, or staring up at the clouds.

For the rest of the night, I was taken – _owned_ – by these two magnificent men.

After a bit of a rest, Theo recast the Aphrodisiac spell upon us both, and sat me astride him. I rode him hard to completion. After he came in me, Draco pushed me forward and spread my cheeks. At first, I thought he planned to come into me from behind; we'd done anal before, and I knew he'd enjoyed it. When the head of him instead pushed into my already-filled vagina, I thought I'd die. Thank Merlin I was well-lubricated, because it was a tight fit. He opened me and slid in against Theo's cock. The sensation of being stretched so thoroughly was exquisite. Theo, apparently, thought so, too, because he gasped right along with me. We all came together that time, and it was amazing to feel all that rippling and pulsing and the push of fluids up into my channel.

That release knocked me out, and I fell asleep against Theo's chest before Draco even had a chance to pull out.

I woke up sometime later, in the hush of the cool, candlelit room, to feel my husband eating my pussy with hungry lips and tongue. He pressed his nose into me and inhaled, letting out a sigh of longing and a growl of approval. He paused to flip me onto my belly, and lifted my hips to lick me that way. It had been a set-up: Theo was leaning against the headboard, stroking his long shaft right in front of my face, his legs extended to either side of my body. He glanced over my shoulder and then back at me. "Do you want to suck me, Hermione?"

Draco's lips lifted away for only an instant. "Merlin, yeah! _Please_ suck his cock, baby. I've got to see that!"

I wanted to do it, even though this had nothing to do with procreation, and everything to do with lust. Since this was a night of debauched fantasy making, and my husband clearly didn't mind, and I was, frankly, very curious, I decided to give in to the offered treat. I leaned forward and took Theo's dark plum-coloured head between my lips, sampling his flesh with suckling kisses. His knees bent upwards, as my head dipped downward on each pass, until eventually, I went as far as I could comfortably take him.

"Fuck, you should see that from this angle," Draco murmured from between my legs. "That's so _bloody_ hot." He growled again and began earnestly feasting upon my pussy.

I licked and sucked on Theo, tasting his salty syrup across my tongue as his pre-come made taking him deeper an easier feat. Fondling his soft sac in one hand, I relaxed my jaw, dropped my tongue to the bottom of my mouth and inhaled through my nose, pushing further than I'd ever done before. His crest dipped into my throat and I involuntarily convulsed around him. "Oh, Slytherin's rod!" he shouted, unexpectedly coming with an upward thrust of his hips.

"Shite," Draco swore, and I knew he could see Theo's come drip out from between my clenched lips and down onto the coverlet, as I hurriedly swallowed what I could catch. I don't think he'd intended on releasing, because he'd given me no notice and I didn't think Nott was the type to let go in a girl's mouth without warning. My throat closing around him must have done him in.

As soon as he'd finished shuddering, I sucked him back up into readiness. An extra self-inflicted Aphrodisiac spell on himself, and Theo was panting in no time for round two... or seven... or whatever the count was now. In a practiced move, he and Draco spun me around together, so that now I was facing the opposite end of the bed and it was my husband's fully erect penis in my face. I gulped him down just as Theo grabbed my hips and slammed home. He fucked me fiercely and I was equally as delirious for Draco's taste. In concert, we tormented each other.

After banging me about for a bit, with a loud shout, Theo came in me once more. His body, however, kept moving, searching for that next high as the spell compelled. He shagged me until I was wailing in pleasure around Draco's flesh and fireworks of colour flashed behind my eyelids. He came a second time as my climax's contractions rippled around him, milking him. Fucking deep, he erupted with intense, gut-wrenching bursts that were so powerful they made him howl behind his clenched teeth.

When Theo collapsed onto the bed, my husband pulled his cock from my lips, grabbed me and pulled me up the length of his body. He brutally thrust me down on his wet, thick length and immediately shot his seed into me, his back arching high off the bed, as he shouted his love for me to the ceiling.

I fell across him and knew I was done for the night. My body could give no more. I must have mumbled something to that effect, for Draco's hands on me were soothing, and his voice gently hushed me. "Shhh, baby. No more, we promise. We're done."

"Now," Theo panted, crawling up on the other side of us and throwing his arm around us both. "We pray."

"Mmmm," was all I could manage before exhaustion turned my world black.

* * *

_**TO BE CONTINUED...**_


	4. Chapter 4

**_CHAPTER FOUR_**

_**A month and a half later...**_

Draco and Theo sat on either side of me and held my hands as we all waited eagerly for the results of the spell that would reveal whether our gamble had paid off. The private healer Draco had hired was guaranteed an expert in fertility and a very discreet professional. He'd been with us from the start of all of this, and he'd known the desperate lengths to which we'd been driven to help us achieve our dreams. Twenty minutes ago, he'd administered three tests – one by wand, one by potion, and one by drawn blood – to make sure of the results, and now we waited with bated breath.

"What if it didn't-" I hedged, voicing the one concern we'd all had for the last month and a half, since our night together. None of us had said it until now, but I needed to know what we'd do in case it was negative, so I wouldn't be utterly without a plan.

"Then we'll try again," Draco stated with confidence, giving my hand a small squeeze. "If you want."

I glanced up at him in surprise, and then over at Theo. "You'd be willing to?"

His silvery-blue eyes met Draco's over my head, and then focused on me again. "Yeah, I would. I want to be a father as much as he does."

"We talked about it the other day, when you were out," her husband explained in a low tone. "We didn't want to jinx it, so it stayed between us, but since you've brought it up..." He shrugged, and reached up to brush some curls from my eyes. "What do you want, though, baby? That's all that matters."

I took a deep breath, not wanting to jinx this either. "I'm open to the possibility if..." I left the thought hanging.

The healer chose that moment to come back in. He was smiling. "Congratulations! The foetuses are exactly six weeks old."

My jaw came unhinged. "F-f-foetuses?"

"Twins," he confirmed. "The sex isn't determined yet, but there's no doubt about it: there are definitely two of them in there. The fertility potion worked perfectly."

I had to put my head down between my legs as spots swam before my eyes. Draco rubbed my back, and everyone talked at once, trying to get me to breathe normally, fetching water, and advising me to relax.

Two.

Twins.

The fertility potion had worked, all right.

As soon as my blood pressure righted itself, I was able to be led out by my two lovers without incident. We Floo'd to Malfoy Manor together to give the good news to his parents, who were anxiously waiting for word.

Narcissa and I had become much closer since that evening at my flat; sharing one's darkest secrets tends to create a bond of friendship between people, apparently. I now sought her out for advice, looking to her as I might a second mother, which paved the way towards a more amicable relationship. Lucius, however, was still mostly interested in the idea of a child from me for the sake of preserving the Malfoy family name. His wife privately predicted that once the man held his grandchild – grand_children_, now – in his arms for the first time, though, his icy exterior would melt. I was hoping for the sake of our babies that that would be the case.

Narcissa's joy was a sight to behold: the woman actually had standing tears in her eyes, although she steadfastly appeared to keep them at bay by will alone, as it wouldn't do for a Malfoy to cry in public. Lucius seemed pleased, and shook his son's hand, as well as Theo's. When it came to me, he seemed uncomfortable with how best to express his congratulations. I took the big step in going to tiptoe and pressing a kiss to his cheek. He affectionately squeezed my arms and gave me a true smile. It was a start.

The gushing continued as Draco went to fetch my parents and bring them in on the good news as well. We all sat down to dinner – everyone there already filled in on Theo's role – and there was much enthusiastic talk at the table about naming the children. Boy and girl names were tossed about and there was some teasing, but overall it was a good night.

Later, after my parents left and the elder Malfoys retired to their wing of the Manor, my boys had just finished a celebratory glass of Firewhisky together – I took camomile tea, of course – and then Theo got up to make his exit as well.

"Wait, please," Draco requested. "I-" He stalled, seemingly unsure how to phrase his next request. He put his drink down, walked over to his best friend and directed him back to the sofa next to me. With a push on his shoulders, he silently requested Theo sit. Bewildered, he and I traded a look, and then he plunked his bum down next to me.

My husband was pacing back and forth in front of us, his face a mask of uncertainty. "I... want to ask you both something important." He stopped, looked down at the two of us focused intently on him, and then swore under his breath. "Bloody hell, I need another drink."

Cutting the room in a few swift, long-legged strides, he reached the drink caddy and poured a half-full glass of Firewhisky, taking a big gulp and an even deeper breath after swallowing. Turning slowly, he met our bemused gazes across the room. "I wondered if-" He paused again, dropping his stare to the drink in his hand. "How would you feel about moving into our flat with us, Theo - as in, permanently?"

The silence was deafening.

Theo cleared his throat, and my eyes shot to him. "I suppose... that would solve the issue of timesharing the children."

Draco swirled his glass around, and his voice was deceptively mild when he replied. "Yes, but that's not the only reason I asked."

My heart thudded in my chest. I knew from the blush on my husband's cheeks what he was hinting at. He and I hadn't discussed this, but in that moment, my mind flew over the possibilities, tearing apart the issue to find the negative impacts and then weighing those against the positives to be gained.

"If this is about my financial situation," Theo replied with a bit of affront to his tone, "I hardly need you to-"

"It's not about that at all," my husband cut him off, allaying that fear. Through a half-lidded, storm-grey stare, he met his friend's eyes. "You know what I'm asking."

Theo paled, swallowed, and looked to me for his cue.

I stared right back, seeking his soul.

Had I liked what we'd done together in bed? Absolutely. Did I have feelings for Theo? Yes, the beginnings of some serious ones, if I were being honest.

Over the last six weeks, he'd been with Draco and me almost every day, Flooing over after work to take meals and walks with us. It hadn't been annoying or imposing, but had felt... natural. On the weekends, we'd gone shopping together a few times in Diagon Alley and in Muggle London, both. We usually had long discussions in the evening in front of the fire about everything and nothing, me sipping warm apple cider, non-caffeinated tea, or hot cocoa, the men enjoying brandy or coffee or a tea with some kick. We had even, one lazy Sunday afternoon when it was raining outside, lay out on the couch. I was stretched between the two of them, head on Draco's lap, feet on Theo's, each of us reading a separate book. The silence had been golden and comfortable then, and it was one of my favourite memories to return to when I was stressed at work.

In all that time, my husband's best friend had never overstepped any boundaries or taken liberties with me, despite the intimacy we'd shared, showing me and Draco the utmost respect. I could sense the loneliness in him, though; it called out to me from his expressive grey-blue eyes. I could tell he wanted very badly what Draco and I shared. As far as I was aware, he had no family left alive – his mother had died when he was a child, his father had died in the war, and he had no siblings. He had an ex-wife, Daphne Greengrass, whom I knew he'd married for love, but who had left him going on ten years before for some German wizard who could boast of a prime vault at Gringotts and could afford to take her on whirlwind holidays across the globe. He and his ex had never had children together. Currently unattached and with no prospect in sight, he was truly and utterly alone. All he had was his work, a big, run-down Manor house, and bills. He never complained about his lot though, always cheerful when he greeted us, generous with his smiles and teasing wit, and loyal to Draco in a way that was similar to what Ron, Harry, and I shared.

In all honesty, I'd begun to crush on Theodore Nott badly, I had to admit. The idea that he might move in so we could continue to explore this new aspect of our relationship – all of us, as it was clear that my husband liked sharing me with his best friend – was thrilling.

I took Theo's hand. It was cold. I warmed it between my palms. "I like the idea for a lot of reasons." Shyly, I looked down at his wrist as I began tracing the blue veins under the skin. "Not just for the babies, or because it would make things easier to have you here in case of emergencies. The truth is... the truth is, Theo, that I hate you going home alone every night. Every time you walk into the Floo, I want to snatch you back. I want you to stay here with us. It feels like you were _meant_ to. When you leave, I feel your loss." I looked over my shoulder at my husband, and could see my thoughts reflected on his relieved features. "We both do." I turned back to Theo, met his gaze. "I know this is all so overwhelming and new, and that we're all feeling our way here, but... you've come to mean so much to me. I want us to try."

Theo looked like he was going to hyperventilate, and there were tears in his eyes, beading his lashes. He looked to Draco again, then me. "You're-" He stopped, clearing his throat once more. "What if we... can't make it work? I don't think I could go through that again."

I silently cursed Daphne Greengrass for hurting this wonderful man so much that he'd spent ten years alone, too afraid to try again.

Draco was suddenly there, drink gone from his hands, kneeling at our feet between us. He placed a hand under mine, causing my palm to be sandwiched between the two men. "We have our glue in Hermione. That's what we were missing before, Theo – you and I. Why it didn't work." He looked into his friend's eyes, earnest. "We never had someone we both loved. Now we do."

"But... you're married to each other," the other man whispered, his voice trembling with the fear of giving over so much trust to an unknown.

Draco and I shared a glance, and did that thing that long-time married couples do – we had a silent meeting of the minds in that one look, and came to a consensus. "We'll handfast," I offered. "It's not legal, but it's magically binding." I laughed at Theo's wonderment that we would offer such a thing. "We're having a child – _children_ – together, lover. What more binding thing in the world can there possibly be?"

* * *

_**TO BE CONCLUDED...**_

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**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**_CHAPTER FIVE_**

With Draco's and my help, Nott Manor was fixed up and sold within the same month as our agreement to become a true _ménage a trois_ with Theo had been made, and our new lover moved into our flat in Kensington with us. The next six and a half months was a wonderful time for all of us, learning how to live together, discovering each other in ways we had never before considered possible. There were fights, yes, but we were all willing to work the kinks out as they came, especially when it came to our insecurities and jealousy. The golden rule to never go to sleep angry became our mantra, and it helped – it _really_ did. We handfasted four months into it – the three of us to each other - and that seemed to only strengthen our bonds of affection and devotion.

I admit that I fell deeply in love with Theo during that stretch of time, and I knew Draco's previous feelings for the man had definitely rekindled and bloomed as well. Many women might have been put off by watching two men together, but honestly, I found the way they touched to be rather erotic. Watching them tease and pleasure each other aroused me in ways I'd never suspected. Of course, I was never left wanting during such sessions - my wizards more than made sure of that.

During my eighth month of pregnancy, we gave up our flat to move into Malfoy Manor at the insistence of Draco's mother, who wanted her grandchildren to be raised in the ancestral home and was willing to overlook our unconventional relationship for the sake of having her family stay together. I gave birth there in the wing allocated to us, under the supervision of my Healer and several medi-witches a few weeks after that.

We had fraternal twins – both boys – almost exactly nine months after that wild first night together. Theo and Draco were both there in the room with me the whole time, and both got to hold a son in their arms in the end. My men – husbands, I called them both now - had their heirs, and I had my babies. _Finally._

The night we settled our boys – Alexander Lucius Malfoy (named for my father and Draco's) and Aidan Donovan Nott (who took Theo's and my father's middle names) - into the specially prepared nursery, after they'd spent a week in a temporary bassinet, per tradition - Theo excused himself for a moment, leaving the room. Draco snuck in behind me as I stood over our sleeping children and wrapped his arms about my waist.

"Are you happy, baby?"

I nodded, relaxing into his embrace. "Very. Are you?"

He kissed my cheek. "Extremely."

"Thank you, for giving us this chance all those months ago," I again voiced my gratitude. It had been Draco's suggestion we seek outside help to conceive. He'd done so for me, because he knew my desperation to carry a baby under my heart. That decision had changed the course of our lives together – for the better. "We finally have the family we always wanted."

He sighed with happiness. "They're going to be a handful."

I chuckled. "I think I've got a good handle on the men in this family." I'd even been able to tame Lucius, it seemed, as he smiled easier now, and hugged me on occasion.

"That you have, wife of mine," he grinned against my cheek.

I was under no delusions; I knew the work was just getting started. However, motherhood was an occupation I'd been looking forward to for a very long time, and really it couldn't be as hard to raise my children as it had been to conceive them and then to convince the world that our method of doing so – and keeping us together as a threesome after the fact - had been right. I'd had to win over my family, his family, and all of our friends to the idea of the unusual relationship between Draco, Theo, and I.

_That_ had been a very difficult boulder to push up the metaphorical mountain, and several times over the last three-quarters of a year, the stress had been so difficult that I'd feared Theo would cut and run. He never had, thanks in part to Draco's ability to charm the socks off any bad-tempered snake, and my insistence that we belonged together. In a way, we'd seduced Theo into staying with us, tying him to our bed and our hearts with lust and love. It had been a very Slytherin way to go about it, but it had worked.

"They're beautiful," he whispered in my ear, kissing my temple. "Thank you."

"I wish-" I began, but didn't finish that sentence. What good would it do to say I wished at least one son would have Draco's genetics? Such words would only hurt him and Theo both. After all, we'd gotten to this place because of a misfortune of biology. That we'd been blood incompatible had been, it turned out, the greatest favour we'd ever received from the cosmos, as it had brought us more love and pleasure than either of us ever imagined possible.

"Know what I wish?" Theo interrupted, coming up behind us, and we turned together. Our lover was holding a tray, and on it were three glasses of champagne.

I knew I shouldn't indulge, but I deserved it, so why not? The labour had been hard, and it had taken my body three days to get back on its feet again. A little indulgence never hurt anyone, right? I reached for a glass, and Draco took one. Theo took the final one. He toasted us.

"I wish us all a Happy Samhain," he stated, grinning like a lovesick fool.

"Oh, my goodness!" I squeaked, and then hushed my tone so as not to wake the children. "I forgot! It's Halloween tomorrow. But I didn't get either of you anything."

It was tradition in the wizarding community to give some small trinket, usually magical in nature, to loved ones on our most important of holidays. It was a throw-back tradition to earlier times when the completed harvest was celebrated at the end of October and an exchange of gifts was given when the yield had been good. The superstition claimed that showing such generosity came back around as luck, so families could weather the harsh winter months ahead.

"But you did," Theo indicated the cot behind me. "You gave us the greatest blessing of all, love."

Draco nodded in agreement. "You gave us hope, baby."

I very quietly clinked glasses with my husbands, thinking that they were right, but only partly: my two men had also given _me_ hope, too.

I wasn't going to tell them that just yet, though. What they'd just unintentionally handed me was the perfect bargaining chip for a night of wicked and wonderful sex sometime in the near future. I intended upon taking full advantage of that. It _had_ been several weeks since I'd had their hands, mouths and... other parts... on and in me, after all. I was looking forward to the fun to come.

"You're very welcome," I smiled around a sip of bubbly. "Oh, but when I'm finally recovered, be fully prepared for me to call in that favour. I've got weeks worth of new, naughty ideas I want to try out."

**_~FIN~_**

* * *

**AUTHOR'S FINAL NOTE:**

**Thank you, dear readers, for sticking with this experimental fic to the very end. I appreciate your interest, and hope you'll leave me a review to let me know if the story worked for you or not. Be honest. I appreciate con-crit. :)**

**To let you in on a little secret, this story served as a very important milestone in my writing career: it was my first time writing a threesome. I'd wanted to do one between these three specific individuals since "When Love and Hate Collide" was initially published back in 2009, and I finally got my chance. More importantly, however, the story gave me the opportunity to open up dialogue concerning social and medical issues which some might find uncomfortable to discuss (or even admit exist, in some cases), although they _are_ relevant and very real issues that should not be relegated to the 'closet of shame,' I feel. **

**When I initially conceived "The Favour," I had no plans for the threesome - it was to be Theo and Hermione having a one-off to get her pregnant because Draco's blood was incompatible with hers (thus playing off the whole blood purity issue from the novels). However, as I began writing, the story morphed and took on a life of its own. As my fingers typed away, it suddenly bloomed and became my vehicle for touching upon the controversial topics of alternate lifestyle choices, women's infertility, and how becoming pregnant can become an obsession and the desperate acts some women feel driven to commit to become a mother. I tried to tackle each of those subjects with sensitivity, while entertaining you with a plot that could possibly (maybe) be believable in the magical universe that JKR created. I hope it succeeded for you.**

**Again, thank you for taking the chance with me and following this one to the end!**


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